An innovative new initiative aims to significantly improve early childhood development and education (ECDE) in Zambia by ensuring efficient and equitable access to essential education and health services for vulnerable children. This collaboration between the Zambia Country Office and the Frontier Data Network leverages advanced geospatial technology and data analytics to strategically identify optimal sites for early childhood education facilities. This approach combines automated data-driven insights with local community knowledge, allowing for precise and inclusive planning and decision-making.
Transforming education and health for Zambia’s vulnerable children
New partnerships and investments have the potential to significantly improve the education and health outcomes for Zambia’s most vulnerable children, particularly those in rural regions with limited access to early childhood development and education (ECDE) services. This project aims to lay a solid foundation for the well-being of Zambia’s children by expanding early childhood development and education infrastructure and enabling access to essential services – such as health, nutrition, water, sanitation, hygiene, child protection and early childhood education – at community-based sites.
To improve access to these essential services, UNICEF Zambia is working with the Government to identify optimal locations for the new ECDE infrastructure. Funding for the construction of the new ECDE centers will be made available by the European Union under the Human Development Programme, but specific locations have not yet been identified.
Addressing the challenges of early childhood education site selection
To develop an analysis for determining the ideal locations for early childhood education centers based on proximity to large populations of target age groups and existing service delivery infrastructure (e.g. health facilities, schools and road networks), the UNICEF Zambia Country Office leveraged multiple types of qualitative and quantitative data from publicly available sources. However, implementing the geospatial analysis presented several unexpected challenges. One major challenge was the labor-intensive nature of mapping using visual interactive maps. Automated rankings were needed for efficiency and accuracy, but this required technical expertise beyond the immediate capabilities of the country office team.
Additionally, translating data analytics into practical decision-making posed limitations, as on-the-ground qualitative information is essential for assessing true availability and acceptability of data-identified sites. Another challenge was communicating this highly technical approach to a diverse group of stakeholders, necessitating clear and concise translations of GIS and data science terminology.
Leveraging the expertise of the Frontier Data Network
To overcome these challenges, the UNICEF Zambia Country Office collaborated with UNICEF’s Frontier Data Network, which provided geospatial experts to perform automated backend analysis and generate the necessary rankings. This collaboration was bolstered by internal expertise from health and early childhood development specialists who specified operational needs and programmatic goals. The team set up databases, ran analyses and engaged in conceptual discussions to ensure the data analytics were practical and useful. This iterative process was vital in developing maps and ranking potential sites.
Through the GIS analysis, the team was able to identify 6,994 potential sites across 2 provinces in 10 districts; of those, approximately 3,000 meet the criteria of >100 children and within proximity to essential services.
Community engagement and collaboration
Local communities and government stakeholders have been integral to the planning process. During field missions to targeted districts, UNICEF’s Zambia Country Office conducted consultative meetings, focus group discussions and field visits. These interactions helped the team understand important variables for site selection and assign appropriate weights to these variables. As the initiative progresses, the team will return to these communities to validate potential sites and secure endorsement from government partners and community leaders.
Feedback from these stakeholders has emphasized the complexity of early childhood education site selection, revealing factors such as seasonal migratory patterns that affect the suitability of certain sites. This nuanced understanding underscores the importance of combining geospatial data with local knowledge to make informed decisions.
Data sources, technologies and partners involved
The scoring system for site selection uses a model that considers the number of schools and health facilities within a certain radius alongside population density. The model leverages advanced geospatial technologies and data analytics to ensure accuracy and effectiveness.
Key partners in this initiative include ZAMSTATS, GRID3, UNICEF’s Frontier Data Network, and various government ministries.
What’s next?
Looking ahead, there are plans to build capacity within Zambia’s government ministries to foster a culture of data-driven decision-making. While this initiative is currently focused on two provinces, the goal is to support the government in adopting this approach for early childhood education site selection in other regions. Adaptations may be necessary to address different contexts and priorities in other countries or regions.
The journey of this project is just beginning, with the immediate focus on validating and securing the selected sites. As the project progresses, visual aids such as maps and infographics will illustrate its impact. Gathering quotes and testimonials from field teams and community members will further highlight the initiative’s benefits and successes.
By integrating geospatial technology with local insights, this initiative is poised to make a profound impact on early childhood development in Zambia, paving the way for healthier, more educated future generations.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Felix Schwebel and Jan Burdziej from the Frontier Data Network team within the Division of Data, Analytics, Planning, and Monitoring for their guidance and expertise.
The Frontier Data Network (FDN) at UNICEF is dedicated to accelerating adoption of innovative data technologies and practices to enhance delivery of impactful, reproducible, data-driven solutions for the world’s most vulnerable children. We achieve this by cultivating community and partnerships to scale talent, data infrastructure, and new analytics initiatives.
This project was made possible in part through the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation’s (AECID) generous support of the Frontier Data Network.
